Capitals announce roster for third preseason game against Bruins, an Opening Night dress rehearsal

In their third preseason game, the Washington Capitals will essentially field their Opening Night lineup as they prepare for their regular-season opener on October 2.

The Capitals released their roster Friday morning, and the team will dress almost all of its starters for its second and final preseason tilt against the Boston Bruins and its first and only exhibition game at Capital One Arena.

Caps fans in DC will not only get a first look at offseason acquisitions Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, Boone Jenner, and Vincent Desharnais, but new renovations made at the venue over the summer.

Capitals roster against Bruins

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Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said the lineup will look identical to the group’s practices throughout Training Camp — minus the first line, as the team announced Alex Ovechkin (lower-body) will not play any preseason games.

Capitals lines against Boston

Ryan Leonard will flip to the left wing, while Ethen Frank will get a jersey and skate to the right of Dylan Strome. Logan Thompson will play the full game in net.

“Logan’s going to play the full 60,” Carbery said Thursday.

Clay Stevenson will also draw into the lineup, backing up starting goaltender Logan Thompson, but there is no deeper meaning there. Since Lindgren (170 career GP) played in Hershey on Monday, he cannot back up Thompson against Boston and then take the net in Philadelphia on Saturday without violating the two-game limit for veterans this preseason.

“If [Lindgren] dresses (against Boston), it’s a wasted game for him, because he’s just sitting there, and that counts, unfortunately, as one of the games for a veteran player,” Carbery said. “So tomorrow, Chuckie will play. The plan is for him to play right now the whole game (against the Flyers).”

Beyond Frank, none of the team’s other bubble players will play. The Capitals essentially have three roster slots open for five players: Frank, Jonny Brodzinski, Ivan Miroshnichenko, Justin Holl, and Dylan McIlrath. In Brodzinski’s two preseason appearances, he scored three goals — leading the team.

That also doesn’t include what the Capitals will choose to do with Stevenson, who the team could opt to include on the Opening Night Roster rather than risk losing him to waivers before the season starts.

The Bruins will counter with an NHL-heavy roster, with David Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, JJ Peterka, Casey Mittelstadt, Hampus Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, and Jeremy Swayman all making the trip. Top prospect James Hagens will also be in the lineup.

Bruins roster

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Defensemen

Goaltenders